Centrifugal separator



yNOV. `6, 1923. 1,473,421

c.- w. EccLEsToN 4 CENTRIFUGAL SEPARTOR Filed April b.. 1919 2 sheets-sheet 1 @gli Nov. 6 1923.

c. W. ECCLESTON C ENTRIUGAL SEPARATOR 1919 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed April 5 z vez zZov C2750/ Y if? Patented Nov. 6, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. ECCLESTON, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO lCENIIRIFUGAL NATIONAL CONCENTRATOR COMPANY, OI LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORA- TION OF CALIFORNIA.

CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR.

application mea April 5, 1919. serial No. 287,886.

T 0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. ECCLES- TON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Centrifugal Separator, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the treatment of substances by centrifugal force whereb-y the different particles of the substance are separated by reason of the difference in specific gravity of the various particles, whether such substance be a liquid, a semi-liquid, or a powdered material. The form of machine shown in the accompanying drawings is designed especially to handle ores for the purpose of recovering the values therein. In such work it has been common to use concentrating machines of different forms, but such machines are inefficient in that they are incapable of v-separating and saving the liner particles of the materia-l constituting the values. Centrifugal machines have also been used for this purpose but have also proved ineflicient because of the fact that such'machines as constructed have either been incapable of separating the finer particles or such machines have been so constructed that they cannot be worked continuously but must be run in cycles generally consisting of introducing the ore, running the machine until a certain amount of values have been separated, after which the machine is stopped and the values removed when the cycle is repeated.

The principal object of my invention is to produce a centrifugal machine, of simple form and construction, in which ores may be continuously treated and which is highly efficient in recovering the values from such ores.

Referring to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a machine 'embodying a form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a portion of the bowl, and

F ig. 4 is a diagrammatic vertical sectional view of a portion of the bowl.

11 designates a housing supported on suitable legs 12 and having centrally supported therein a vertically arranged bearing 13 in which is mounted a driving shaft 14, a suitable packing member 15 being provided at the lower end of the bearing. 16 designates a vdriving pulley secured in any suitable manner to the lower end of the shaft 14, such pulley 16 vbeing driven from any suitable power source not shown. Secured to the upperen'd of the shaft 14 by means of apin 17 is the lower bowl section 18 of a centrifugal bowl 19, such lower section 18 carrying thereon a series of bowl sections 20, each succeeding upper section being of larger diameter than the lower sections. The lower section 18 is provided with a floor 21 upon which is mounted an angularl disposed side wall 22, such side wall exten ing outwardlyand upwardly from the floor 21 and terminating at its upper edge in a circular head 23. The circular head 23 is provided with a circular seat 24 formed on the top thereof, which receives the foot 25 of the next upper bowl section 20, such bowl section 20 also having an angularly disposed wall 22 and a head 23.

Each of the sections 20 is constructed with a head portion 23, side wall 22 and foot 25, thefoot 25 of each bowl section resting upon a circular face 24 formed on the head of the next lower bowl section. A portion of the head of each bowl section projects inwardly over the inner face of a bowl section upon which the head is formed and forms a rille 30 which will be more particularly referred to hereinafter. Co-acting with each bowl section is a retaining means consisting of a downwardly extending circular skirt 31, the outer portion'of which is provided with a circular seat 32 which receives the outer edge of the head 23 of the bowl section, such skirt being provided with a circular flange 33 which extends upwardly over the outer edge of the head and being rovided with a plurality of screws 34 w ich extend into the head thereby securely fastenin the skirt-to the head of the bowl section. gcrews 35 are provided for securing the head of each bowl section to the foot of the next section thereabove. Directly under the head of each bowl section and formed in the side walls thereof are a number of circular slots 36 forming discharge outlets for the bowl.

The circular outer walls 40 of the housing enclose the bowl 19 and terminate at their upper edge in a launder 41 which receives the tailings which may pass over the upper edge of the bowl. Formed upon the floor of the housing is a series of vertically arranged circular walls 41', there being one wall 41' for each bowl section, the upper edge of the wall extending inwardly as shown at 42 under the outer edge of the skirts on the respective bowl section. Such walls 41 form launders to receive the material discharged as hereinafter described from the respective bowl sections.

Extending through the walls 40 and 41 of the housing are a series of water. pipes 43 which connect on the exterior of the housing with a central water supply pipe 44, each pipe 43 being provided with a valve 45 so that the water passing through each pipe 43 may be independently regulated for the purpose hereinafter described. The inner endY of each pipe 43 extends under the skirt of a bowl section and is turned upwardly forming a nozzle 46 which directs a jet of water upwardly between the skirt and the wall of the bowl section into what may be termed a retaining chamber. 50 designates a vertically arranged feed pipe, the lower end of which terminates slightly above the floor of the lower bowl, and, in the form of the machine shown, is used for the purpose of delivering pulp and water to the interior of the bowl.

The lnachine shown in the accompanying drawings has been particularly designed for the purpose of recoveringvalues from ores and in the operation of such machine t-he pulp and water are delivered to theinterior of the bowl by means of the feed pipe 50. The bowl is rotated through the medium of the shaft 14, which rotation causes the pulp to be thrown outwardly against the walls of the bowl sections, the heavier material or values being thrown in the first instance below the riile of the lowermost bowl section, and, as the pulp passes upwardly,successively filling the space under the respective riles.' When the machine is first started the pulp passes through the discharge 'outlets 36 in the bowl sections and lls up the space between the skirt and the outer face of the bowl section, forming a bank of material as shown at 51 in Fig. 4. The concentrates under theI rilles assume an angle according to their specific gravity Y wh'ch diagrammatically may be represented by the line A in Fig. 4 and the bank of tailings between the skirtand the bowl section likewise formed on the same angle to the perpendicular indicated at B, such angle, however, being oppositely disposed to the perpendicular from the angle A. When the concentrates have accumulated as shown in Fig. 4, unless provision is made for removing such concentrates, the whole of the pulp containing the remainder of the concentrates will ass over the riilles and be discharged over t 1e top of the bowl, but I have found that by introducing a jet of water under the skirt that the bank of concentrates indicated at C may be continuously removed, which allows the concentrates indicated at D under the riille to pass through the discharge outlet where they are continuously removed by the jet of water heretofore referred to. This continuous removing of the bank C by the jet of water permits the concentrates to be caught under the rillles and continuously work their way through the discharge outlet, it being understood that the concentrates not caught by the lowermost bowl section will pass upwardly over the inner face of the next bowl section and be caught under the rile of such bowl section. The valves or concentrates not being caught under the next bowl section pass to the next sections above in succession until the very finest particles are caught under the rilles on the upper bowl sections. It will be readily understood that the values removed from each section will flow downwardly in their respective launders and be discharged in suitable receptacles through the pipes 60.

Where I use my invention for the purpose of separating liquids it is not necessary to use the jets of water, but by proportioning the length of the skirt to the de th of the ruhe I can permit the discharge o the heav- 1er portion of the liquid over the lower edge of .the skirt, that is, by shortening the skirt so that the angle between the dischar e outlet and the lower edge of the skirt is s ightly less than the angle of flow of the liquld to be removed I can discharge such liquid over the lower edge of the skirt'. It will also be readily understood that the depth of the rile may be changed or designed to meet the requirement of various materials to be worked upon, all of such variations comi within the spirit of my invention, as wil be readily apparent to anyone skilled in the art from the above description and the accompanying drawings.

By using the skirt. on the outer side of the bowl I am enabled to use a discharge outlet or series of discharge outlets for the respective bowl sections of large size in comparison with discharge outlets commonly used on centrifugal machines so that with my invention there is never any danger of the discharge outlets clogging up, so that a machine designed as above described may be run continuousl the separation taking place continuous y and the different products continuously removed from the machine.

I claim as my inventionz- 1. A centrifugal separator comprising a rotatable bowl member, an inwardly extending circular riiile on said bowl member, said bowl member having discharge outlets formed therein under the rifiie, and retaining means on the outside of the bowl member arranged to obstruct the flow of material through the said discharge outlets in the bowl member and form a bank of said material.

2. A centrifugal separator comprising a rotatable bowl member, an inwardly extending circular riile on said bowl member, said bowl member having discharge -outlets formed therein under the riifle, and a circular skirt open at the bottom mounted on the exterior portion of said bowl member extending over the said discharge outlets 1n the bowl member and downwardly therefrom arranged to collect the material discharged from the bowl member.

3. A centrifugal separator comprising a rotatable bowl member having upwardly and outwardly inclined side walls, an inwardly extending circular ritlle on said side walls, said side walls having discharge outlets formed therein under said riie, and a circular skirt open at the bottom mounted on the exterior of said bowl above the discharge outlets and extending downwardly over the discharge outlets forming a material retaining chamber between said bowl and the skirt.

et. A centrifugal separator comp-rising a' rotatable bowl member, an inwardly extending circular riile on said bowl member, said bowl member having discharge outlets formed therein under the rifile, retaining means on the outside of the |bowl member arranged to obstruct the flow of material through the said discharge outlets in the bowl member to form a bank of such material, and means for directing a stream of water between said retaining means and the bowl against the bank of material so formed.

5. A centrifugal separator comprising a rotatable bowl member, an inwardly extending circular rile on said bowl member, said bowl member having discharge outlets formed therein under the ritlie, a circular skirt mounted on the exterior portion of said bowl member extending over the said discharge outlets4 in the .bowl member and downwardly therefrom, and means for directing a jet of Water under said Skirt.

A 6. A centrifugal separator comprising a rotatable bowl member having upwardlyA and outwardl inclined side walls, an inwardly exten ing circular rilile on said side walls, said side walls having discharge outlets formed therein under said riiile, a circular skirt mounted on the exterior of said bowl above the discharge outlets and extendy in g downwardly over the discharge outlets ing circular ritile formed on each bowl section, each bowl section having discharge outlets formed in thewalls thereof below the riiles, a'circular skirt mounted on the outside of each bowl section above the discharge outlets therein and extending downwardly over said discharge outlets, means for di- 'recting a stream of water upwardly under each skirt, means for securing said bowl sections together, means for introducing material into said bowl, and means for sepa-- rately removing the discharged material from each bowl section. l

8. A centrifugal separator comprising a rotatable bowl member consisting of a series of circular bowl sections placed one above another, a circular riille formed on each bowl section, each bowl section having discharge outlets formed therein under the riille, retaining means on the exterior of each bowl section extending downwardly over the discharge outlets therein arranged to form a circular chamber between said retaining means and the bowl section, means for directin a stream of water upwardly into said circu ar chamber, means for securing said bowl sections together, means for introducing material into said bowl 'member and means for separately removing the discharged material from each bowl section.

9. A centrifugal separator comprising a rotatable bowl consisting of, a lower bowl section having a licor, a series of upper bowl sections mounted one upon another on said lower bowl section, each of said upper bowl sections consisting of a foot member, an upwardly and outwardlyl extending wall formed on the foot member, a head member formed on said wall, an inwardly extending circular flange formed on each head member forming a circular rile, means for securing the foot member of one bowl section to the head member of the next bowl section,

each bowl section having dischargeoutlets' formed therein under the rile thereon, a-

circular skirt mounted on the head member of each bowl section extending downwardly over the discharge outlets in the bowl section and forming a circular chamber between the said rotatablev member, a circular riflleformed on said rotatable member extending inwardly over the discharge outlets therein, and means on the exterior of said rotatable member arranged to form a bank ofthe material passing through said discharge outlets on the exterior of said rotatable member.

11. A centrifugal separator comprising a rotatable member having a discharge outlet in the walls thereof, means on the exterior of said rotating member arranged to form a bank of the material discharged through said discharge outlet and means exterior of said bowl for 'continuously directing a jet of liquid against the exposed portion of said bank.

12. A centrifugal separator comprising a rotatable member having a discharge outlet in the Walls thereof, means on the exterior of said rotating member arranged to form a bank of the material discharged through` said discharge outlet, and means exterior of said bowl for directing a. jet of water against said bank of material.

13. A centrifugal separator comprising a rotatable member having a laterally disposed discharge outlet in the side walls thereof, and means on the exterior of said rotating member arranged to form a bank of the material discharged through said discharge outlet. and means exterior of said bowl for continuouslyremoving said bank of material by continuously directing a jet of liquid against said bank.

14. A centrifugal separator comprising a rotatable member having a lateral] disposed discharge outlet in the side wal thereof, and means on the exterior fsaid rotating member arranged to form a moving bank of the material discharged through said discharge outlet, a means exterior of said bowl for continuously directing a jet of liquid against said bank.

15. A centrifugal separator comprising a rotatable member having a laterally disposed discharge outlet in the walls thereof, means on the exterior of said rotating member arranged to form a dewatered bank of the material after such material is discharged through said discharge outlet, andstationary means exterior of said bowl for directing a jet of water against said bank of material.'

16. A centrifugal separator comprising a rotatable member having a discharge outlet in the walls thereof, and means on the exterior of said rotating member varranged to form a bank of the material passing through said discharge outlet, and means for continuously directing a jet of water against said bank of material, the amount of water discharged against said bank being so regulated with respect to the amount of material passing through the discharge outlet as to maintain a bank of such material.

17. In a centrifugal separator having a rotating bowl with an opening therein, means for regulating the flow of material through that opening comprising means for forming on said bowl a bank of material at the inlet and outlet end of said opening, and means for continuously removing regulated amounts of said material from said bank by directing a jet of water against the bank.

18. In a centrifugal separator, the combination of a rotating bowl so shaped as to form a bank of material on the outside face of said bowl, and stationary means exterior of said bowl for continuously removing regulated amounts of material from said bank by directing a jet of liquid against said bank,

19. A centrifugal separator comprising a rotatable bowl member, said member having a series of discharge outlets therein, the

openings in one series being above the openings in another series, and retaining `means on the outside of the bowl member arranged means for regulating the amount of vdis-V 4to obstruct the flow of material through said y charge through said perforation by forming a bank of such material on the outside of said rotative member, said means consisting of a stationary nozzle arranged to direct a jet of water against the'discharged material. 22. A centrifu al separator comprising a rotative member aving a side wall provided with a discharge outlet, obstruct-ing means on the exterior of said rotating member in the path of the material passing through said outlet and adapted to form a bank of such material and means exterior of said bowl for continuously directing a jet of water against said bank.

23. -A centrifugal separator comprising a rotating member having a side wall pro vided with a discharge outlet, means rotating with the said member and extending opposite the said outlet to form a bank of the material passing through ythe outlet, and means exterior of said bowl for continually laol removing a portion of such material from such bank by directing a jet of Water thererotative bowl-shaped member having a discharge outlet in the side thereof; means for feeding material to said bowl; means for forming a bank of the heavier portions of said material at said outlet; and means exterior of sail bowl for directing a stream of 10 liquid against said bank during the feeding operation.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 28th day of March, 1919.

CHARLES W. ECCLESTON. 

